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Whether you love him or you don't (and you definitely should), Pete Dunne has had an incredible run at the top of NXT UK, reigning for over 600 days as Champion.
But with the challenge of The Ring General coming at Takeover, it's hard to see that continuing. If he is indeed to retain in New York, many fans will be shocked, but not surprised, as The Bruiserweight is arguably the best wrestler in the world today, but no matter what, his reign at the top of his Kingdom can't last forever.
Whether it be Walter in New York or somewhere else down the line, NXT UK need to freshen things up, and that means bad things for Pete, so today we are going to look into the future of WWE's newest brand, and predict the next 4 NXT UK Champions after Pete Dunne.
#1 Walter
The obvious choice for the next NXT UK Champion is Dunne's next challenger in New York over WrestleMania weekend in the form of Austrian stud, The Ring General, Walter. The reigning Progress Champion is arguably the hardest hitter in all of professional wrestling, and while we've never seen these two compete in a singles match before, it's going to be an absolute war for the richest prize in NXT UK.
Walter is as physically dominating as anyone in the entire WWE, and considering how many Championships he's won around the world over the past few years, it's clear that he knows how to get it done in the biggest moments.
Whether it's New York or further down the road, Walter is seemingly the only person in NXT UK who can believably beat the reigning Champion, and as such, we do believe that it will be Walter who ends the historic reign of the second ever NXT UK Champion, Pete Dunne.
#2 Travis Banks
Travis Banks is one of the best wrestlers in the entire world right now, and it's clear that the NXT UK brand have big plans for The Kiwi Buzzsaw, and if there's any underdog in NXT UK that can slay the beast known as Walter, it's Banks.
The two have a fantastic history together too, competing in one of Progress Wrestling's best rivalries in 2018, and with the three men who run Progress in charge of NXT UK, that story could indeed come full circle in the WWE.
Travis is a hard-hitter, capable of putting together some of the best matches in all of wrestling, but his best work is in the character department, as evidenced by his run to the Progress title, and he's capable of beating Walter too. It's going to be a few months down the track, but if NXT UK keep building up the Kiwi Buzzsaw the way they have so far, they'll have no choice but to put him on top of the mountain.
#3 Eddie Dennis
Eddie Dennis was ready to walk away from wrestling a few years ago, with a good job that provided him a solid living, but he wanted to chase his wrestling dream, and after completely turning his character around, he became a prize signing for the WWE and NXT UK.
He turned heel on his former best friend Mark Andrews, an all across the UK, Dennis was cutting the best promos in all of wrestling, and he's brought that attitude to NXT, and it's going to serve him well going forward.
He's been heavily pushed as a monster in NXT UK, despite the fact that doesn't quite have the stature of a classic WWE monster, but he's excelled in every role they've put him in so far, and he's going all the way to the top.
As he's just suffered another unfortunate injury, this is going to be a long story that NXT UK tell, but once he gets into the title picture, it's going to be tough to stop the Pride of Wales.
#4 Ilja Dragunov
Ilja Dragunov is the only performer on this list to not yet appear in NXT UK, but the wXw star has just been signed, and he'll get over big the moment he steps foot in the WWE's newest brand.
When it comes to intensity, there's no one in the entire wrestling world that can match Dragunov, who may just be the best wrestler in Europe, as he blends it perfectly with an exciting entrance, a unique charisma and some of the most exciting offence in wrestling.
He's no doubt been on WWE's radar for a while now, as he had a classic with Pete Dunne at Progress' first show at Wembley, and now, he's ready to take over NXT UK. His English isn't fantastic at this point, so bringing a mouthpiece with him would allow him to flourish through his in-ring work a lot easier, and it will make him one of the biggest stars in all of the WWE when he takes that title.
